A Big Year for Ground Zero

The “Passing of the Leash Ceremony” is a symbolic and meaningful event that takes place at the completion of a canine and handler’s training with Ground Zero. The receiving handler and canine will operate as a single unit as they step forward into their commitment to saving lives. It also gives us a moment to thank and honor everyone who plays a role in preparing the canine and handler team. This year we celebrated 11 canine and handler teams, including:

• Pepper- sponsored by Devon
• Indy- sponsored by Express
• Ally- sponsored by Patterson Oil

Sharing the mission of Ground Zero with potential donors and supporters is critical to growing our organization. Ground Zero has been welcomed by so many incredible organizations this year including Explorer Pipeline, Express, Williams and Continental.  Former First Ladies of Oklahoma, Kathy Keating, and Kim Henry also visited the Ground Zero training facility in Tuttle earlier this year to witness, firsthand the work that Ground Zero prepares for each and every day.

Tracking the canines, handlers and first responders who have graduated from the Ground Zero training program allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of real-life search and rescue needs. Taskforce members and first responders report the following “call outs” or deployment scenarios:

• Severe Flooding in Northeastern Oklahoma
• Spring tornados in El Reno, Oklahoma and Linwood, Kansas
• Hurricane Dorian in Florida and North Carolina
• Missing child searches in Kansas and Missouri (children are alive and well)
• Canine successfully identified the location of a missing fugitive in Arizona (just under 2.5 hours)
• Canine successfully found a murder weapon to assist in the identification of the murderer

Training

Ground Zero’s commitment to providing superior, specialized training is the key to preparing for a disaster.  This year we provided training for task force members, conducted night drills and created a puppy socialization class for the next generation of Ground Zero heroes.

Fundraisers

“Puppy Love” was a fundraising event that creatively combined our love for the new Ground Zero puppies and supporters. Guests enjoyed cocktail hour and puppy snuggles with future heroes, followed by demonstrations with GZ certified canines and dinner while raising money for an important cause! Ground Zero was also selected as a recipient for Remington Park’s special fundraiser, “Remington Bark” this summer.

Ground Zero Board of Directors

Ground Zero Board Members are dedicated to staying on top of relevant issues and topics. In 2019, board members attended Sarkey’s Regional Leadership Forum as well as the Standards of Excellence, hosted by Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits.